1―15. Olympics
He went to the Chairman with the feeling that if he couldn’t go, he would die. He persuaded the Chairman with a perfect business-like tone, giving logical reasons.
If he went directly, more efficient work…. The Chairman, who had been listening, opposed. So you’re going to be away from your position for 3 weeks now?
Seeing the Chairman’s displeased expression, Seo Sihan’s heart became urgent. Words honestly slipped out without him knowing. Please… I really want to go…… Seo Sihan, who had only been smiling with his mouth the whole time, finally made a tearful face.
After that, the Chairman approved in 5 seconds. It was because outwardly he treated him strictly, but inwardly he was his extremely cherished grandson.
He couldn’t stand watching his grandson study like a machine because of his own son in England, so he brought him to Korea, but he wasn’t pleased that he was only working at the company too. In fact, the reason he just opposed was because Seo Sihan said he would take on the Olympics work along with his existing work.
In the end, the Chairman approved, telling him to take a vacation while he was at it. Of course, Seo Sihan said that was fine and he would work while there too.
So back to the present, the morning of departure day.
Jeong Minha was flustered the moment he lifted the blanket to wake Seo Sihan.
“Huh? You were awake?”
Seo Sihan, who had never once woken up early, was lying down with his eyes open.
“Hyung, good morning….”
However, Seo Sihan’s expression was darker than usual. Even dark circles were heavily settled under his eyes. Seo Sihan smiled barely and said.
“Minha-ya… did you sleep well…?”
“…No, you didn’t. You look completely bad?”
Smiling with that face was 10 times scarier than usual. Even I, his lover now, felt fear, so if he had been like this when we first met, I would’ve run away immediately. But the current Jeong Minha was also very worried.
“Hyung, you didn’t sleep?!”
“…No.”
“Look in a mirror before you lie! Can you even get up? If you’re in bad condition, you should just rest at home…!”
As soon as Jeong Minha told him to rest, Seo Sihan shot up.
“I’m fine, fine. Really. I’m going too.”
“Whew…. Okay….”
After that, the two who even ate breakfast changed clothes and packed their luggage. Jeong Minha, who wanted to be comfortable until the competition, was in his usual outfit. Hair down, glasses, black short sleeves, gray long pants.
Seo Sihan was also the same as usual in a different sense. Hair down, neatly dressed in a dark suit. Looking at their polar opposite fashions, Jeong Minha asked.
“Hyung, are you going to work?”
“No…. But I have to work when I get there….”
“Wow…. Hyung, some vitamins―”
Before Jeong Minha could even finish his words, Seo Sihan seemed to realize something and hurriedly returned to his room.
Then he soon brought back a bunch of things and told Jeong Minha about them in order.
“This is Minha’s neck pillow. This is a sleep mask for when you sleep on the plane… a warm one. That’s emergency medicine and that’s a wrist guard and pain relief patches…. And……”
As his own luggage started piling up full, Jeong Minha hurriedly stopped him.
“I, I think that’s enough! Thank you…. But it seems like you need them, not me….”
“I’m fine….”
“No! Pack for yourself too, hyung!”
“Mmm….”
In the end, only after both their luggage was fully packed did they enter the entrance.
Then Jeong Minha, who had been hesitating for a moment, asked carefully while avoiding eye contact.
“Hyung, just in case…. This might be an unreasonable request, but….”
“Yeah?”
Somehow there was no confidence in his tone. Seo Sihan quietly waited for the next words.
“…Do you have to keep watching from that spot when I compete…? I mean, even if you suddenly get an urgent call….”
“……”
“Disappearing in the middle… I got a bit traumatized….”
“……”
“If it’s too much, just don’t come from the start….”
“What are you talking about, Minha-ya.”
Seo Sihan’s reaction was particularly fast today. He opened his haggard eyes wide from lack of sleep and answered with a face only smiling with his mouth.
“Are you saying I wouldn’t focus on Minha’s competition? That would never happen. Don’t worry. How long have I been waiting for this day…. I can watch without even blinking. Really. I’ll turn my phone completely off. Watching Minha is more important than the company.”
Because of Seo Sihan rattling on while grabbing his shoulders, Jeong Minha was flustered and couldn’t even answer. Seo Sihan’s eyes seemed even more unfocused than usual. It felt quite scary, but still, it seemed like he was saying it all while thinking of him, so he started to feel a bit moved.
“Even if the company collapses, I won’t take calls….”
No. He’s just not in his right mind from lack of sleep.
“…Take those kinds of calls at least!”
Jeong Minha pushed Seo Sihan away in disbelief. Whether he did or not, Seo Sihan placed both hands on his chest and even his breathing became labored.
“But Minha-ya…. Why am I already trembling so much…. I think my heart is a bit broken….”
Seo Sihan, who seemed to have lost his mind, gripped his necktie tightly as if sincerely happy. Seeing that, Jeong Minha now even lost his words.
“…Hyung. Why are you more excited now than when I confessed to you?”
“……”
“……”
“…It’s your imagination.”
Seo Sihan changed the subject while trying to smile with the prettiest expression possible. Jeong Minha, who was weak to such faces, just let out a small sigh and lightly hit Seo Sihan’s back. Of course, from Seo Sihan’s perspective, it wasn’t light.
“Uk….”
“Jeez, that’s enough so let’s go now. Hyung, you absolutely must sleep some on the plane.”
“Yeah….”
After going down to the parking lot and seeing Seo Sihan sit in the driver’s seat, Jeong Minha hurriedly stopped him. It was so natural that he forgot for a moment, but Seo Sihan was in bad condition right now. If he drove, the destination seemed like it would be the hospital, not the airport.
Seo Sihan was about to say he was fine, but as if realizing something, immediately called the driver. If it was just him, he would’ve just driven, but with Jeong Minha riding next to him, it was different. It was to prevent any possible accidents.
* * *
A while later, the two arrived at Incheon International Airport.
From here, they had to separate. It was because Jeong Minha had to go with the national team.
Moreover, once they separated like this, it was unclear when they would meet again. As soon as they arrived, Jeong Minha had to do local adaptation training until the opening. They would train at an athletic facility far from the stadium, then return to the athletes’ village on opening day.
It seemed like they would meet on competition day 2 weeks later.
Just before getting out of the car, Jeong Minha, who recalled this schedule, briefly looked around. Even the driver got out, so currently only the two of them were in the back seat.
As Seo Sihan was about to get out of the car, Jeong Minha immediately grabbed Seo Sihan’s shoulder. Then he briefly kissed his cheek.
“……!”
“…We won’t be able to see each other for a while!”
Embarrassed, Jeong Minha turned his body to get out quickly. But then Seo Sihan also approached, held his cheek, and even kissed him.
“U, uup…!”
He was more urgent than usual but stopped that much faster. Seo Sihan, who pulled his mouth away, smiled while looking at Jeong Minha blinking his surprised eyes.
“Have a good trip, Minha-ya…. I’ll definitely come watch during the competition.”
“Ye, yes….”
As Jeong Minha tried to hurriedly get out while hiding his flushed face, Seo Sihan added.
“Oh, and…. You don’t have to feel too burdened. I just wanted to see Minha shoot again, and the medal….”
Worried that he might feel pressured that he had to get first place, Seo Sihan spoke carefully. He really just wanted to see Jeong Minha shoot confidently at the stadium once more, he wasn’t hoping for a gold medal.
But Jeong Minha was different. His expression, which had been embarrassed and tense the whole time, changed to expressionless in an instant. Soon he let out a scoff as if absurd.
“Ha, really…. Hyung.”
“Huh…?”
Jeong Minha, who placed his hand on the seat and approached Seo Sihan’s side, spoke with a serious face.
“Do you think I won’t be able to win it?”
“…! N-no….”
As Seo Sihan answered flustered with both his ears and cheeks all red, Jeong Minha smiled and got out of the car. And before closing the door, he declared.
“I’m going to win the gold medal, so think about where to put it.”
“……!”
With those words as the end, Jeong Minha grabbed his luggage and left.
Looking at Jeong Minha getting farther away through the window, Seo Sihan’s heart pounded for a long while before he also grabbed his luggage and got out.
* * *
He thought they would meet later, but they met sooner than expected.
Of course, they couldn’t talk. Their eyes met from afar.
“We’ll start filming! One, two―”
“An interview here please…!”
“What’s the medal goal for this Olympics….”
Upon entering the airport, reporters were gathered in droves. They took pictures with cameras everywhere. The national team members all gathered together and took a group photo too.
Jeong Minha, who had already experienced this once, calmly raised his fist together with an expressionless face. His hair was briefly slicked back again like during competitions. It was because after finding out that Seo Sihan even saved all his news article photos, he somehow felt self-conscious.
The Sports Association President stood at the official spot and conducted an interview. When asked what the medal goal was, the President explained. The goal is 1 gold medal, 2 silver medals, 2 bronze medals…….
Another question came in following the answer. They wanted to conduct an interview with a promising candidate athlete aiming for a gold medal…… Hearing that, the Coach pushed the back of the athlete standing blankly next to him. Go quickly and speak.
Jeong Minha stood in front of the microphone while hiding his embarrassment. Camera flashes immediately went off. Numerous questions poured down on Jeong Minha, who was returning after 4 years and aiming for a gold medal.
Being like this reminded him of the old situation. Back then too, various questions dug in right after the competition. How did such a mistake happen, what are your thoughts on winning the silver medal, what are your future plans…….
Jeong Minha, whose mood sank for a moment, couldn’t say anything.
